Another guy using ipad pro as only computer

[Night Spring]

Thoroughly, agree. My post was in the context of professional, productive work. I too use my iPad Mini 4 exclusively for personal mobile computing needs. My rMB is solely a work machine. Also I was writing in the context that one is trying to find that magical "1 device" nirvana, which I don't ascribe to myself at all, I like having different tools for different things, as long as they are the best tools for the job.

One little nitpick is the instant on. I haven't actually shut down or restarted a Mac besides for major updates for a really, really long time...it is pretty much instant on!

Then you and I are actually rather similar in our usage, as one reason I keep desktops around is for work. The other reason is to manage my media collection, which is too large to fit on any iDevice!

I do feel somewhat envious of people who are able to use an iPad as their one "nirvana" device though.

As for keeping a Mac always on, good for you that you can keep one always on. I always feel guilty about it if I leave it on for too long without using it, so I power it down, then of course, five minutes later, I think of something I need to do on it!

 

[B.A.T]

iPad/iPhone combo works just fine for my wife for everything she does except for occasional work stuff where she uses her work issued Dell. She never needs a laptop or desktop for personal needs. As for me, I prefer a desktop for editing photos in lightroom/photoshop. I shoot in raw and the iPad won't cut it for me. Maybe one day.

 

[Kal-037]

It's my main computer, as far as my use goes, but... I still want a full OS computer.


Kal.

 

[lax28]

I have an iPad Air2, a rMBP and now an iPad Pro. They all offer different uses to me, I am sure if you have a computer at work for your job and at the end of your day work stays at work it is much easier to use an iOS device almost (if not) exclusively as your only "computer". I happen to teach, and travel back and forth to work with my rMBP, the things I use either iPad for are things I can live without or do on the Mac, however to opposite is not true. As a teacher work never stays at work, so the things that I require a computer for can not be done (or done easily) on an iOS device and until that time comes I will not be trading in my Mac for an iPad exclusively. Actually, if the iPad Air had a pro model and use of the apple pencil...even for an additional cost I wold be happier with that. I find myself still using the Air a lot more then the Pro (when pencil not needed) purely based on its size.

Of course everyone's experiences is their own and differs from person to person, neither device is going to replace the other. MS has the right idea with their surface line of products, but their actual machines fail at being good tablets and aren't great computers either...If anyone can improve on that kind of set up and make a product that does both well Apple will be the company to do so, however I wouldn't hold my breath on such a product in the near future.

No matter what you have or what combination you use, enjoy them and don't worry about what the neighbors are using.

 

[BallparkDreamer]

Since getting my iPad Air 2 it has been my main consumption machine, but when it comes to doing research and writing papers my laptop takes the cake.

 

[Cobb]

After you capture the image(s), click the blue "check" in the bottom right, then click "SEND" on the bottom left. Then, there will be a standard "Share" button. Once you click on that, you should see the typical share menu from all iOS apps with options to "Open in...", Print, etc.

Many thanks dsquarius! Will give it a try next time.

 

[Wiesenlooser]

It's my main computer, as far as my use goes, but... I still want a full OS computer.


Kal.

What is a "full" OS computer?
iOS is a "full" OS , in some ways even more advanced than OSX. It is the apps that are lagging. Which is Apples fault aswell since alot of pro Apps just dont work out financially due to the App Store.

 

[dyn]

That's not Apples fault, that's the devs fault. Just putting it in the App Store doesn't mean you can lay back and cash in. Wherever you are going to put the app you'll have to do some marketing and advertising. If the word doesn't get out, no one will known. The problem is with the iOS limitations. You simply can't do everything thus you need to be very creative to do so. Not many devs seem to be that creative and not everything can be resolved by simply being creative. And then there are the things that just don't work on a touch based device.

Just take a look at every review about the Surface Pro and the iPad Pro. They are great in just 1 area, not in the two areas they are aiming at which is probably something that isn't going to change for the next 5 to 10 years. Until then there will always be a need for the normal desktop/laptop that we have known for years. It requires far more than simply a different take at the App Store.

 

[Wiesenlooser]

That's not Apples fault, that's the devs fault. Just putting it in the App Store doesn't mean you can lay back and cash in. Wherever you are going to put the app you'll have to do some marketing and advertising. If the word doesn't get out, no one will known. The problem is with the iOS limitations. You simply can't do everything thus you need to be very creative to do so. Not many devs seem to be that creative and not everything can be resolved by simply being creative. And then there are the things that just don't work on a touch based device.

Just take a look at every review about the Surface Pro and the iPad Pro. They are great in just 1 area, not in the two areas they are aiming at which is probably something that isn't going to change for the next 5 to 10 years. Until then there will always be a need for the normal desktop/laptop that we have known for years. It requires far more than simply a different take at the App Store.

It is not about the marketing. Inside the App Store, pricing options are severly limited. This is problematic - especially for "pro" apps. The fact that there is no update pricing makes it hard for many professional app developers.

With the iOS store, you can only keep making money and finance the development of your app if your user base is growing as in new users buying the app. This may be fine for many games and fun apps, but in the professional segment you have a very stable "niche" user base. With this, you will stop making money at some point and get into trouble

 

[mw360]

That's not Apples fault, that's the devs fault. Just putting it in the App Store doesn't mean you can lay back and cash in. Wherever you are going to put the app you'll have to do some marketing and advertising. If the word doesn't get out, no one will known. The problem is with the iOS limitations. You simply can't do everything thus you need to be very creative to do so. Not many devs seem to be that creative and not everything can be resolved by simply being creative. And then there are the things that just don't work on a touch based device.

The financial problems of the App Store are entirely Apple's doing. The fact the Mac App Store has failed to attract any serious heavyweights and is regularly losing some of its star products, just shows how hostile the App Store policies are to developers. On a Mac you can buy AutoCAD, Maya, ZBrush, Nuke, Avid, Resolve and masses of other substantial professional software priced well up into the thousands of dollars. Through the Mac App Store, you cannot. By extension, we can only dream about what would have been possible on iOS, where it not for Apple's App Store junk shop economics.

 

[kapp2]

I would say, It really depends on what the iPad should be used for. imo it can replace an laptop, as iPad have powerfull processor these days. and have many of the same programs as MAC.

 

[Nevaborn]

the problem is I want to use Apple iWork programs but they are so lacking compared to Office.

I really want numbers to be able to hyperlink to locally stored PDF's and a built in solution to Pages to manage and edit PDF's signing and stamping etc.

 

[dyn]

It is not about the marketing. Inside the App Store, pricing options are severly limited. This is problematic - especially for "pro" apps. The fact that there is no update pricing makes it hard for many professional app developers.

It is so problematic that there are so many pro apps in the App Store that are even the top selling ones. Or in other words: the reality is the exact opposite from your fear. Not having trial and upgrade options is and has been a problem since day 1 for every kind of application in the App Store. It is not limited to games, pro apps, etc.

With the iOS store, you can only keep making money and finance the development of your app if your user base is growing as in new users buying the app. This may be fine for many games and fun apps, but in the professional segment you have a very stable "niche" user base. With this, you will stop making money at some point and get into trouble

This is the exact problem I was talking about. Developers thinking that they the App Store is going to do the selling. Biiiiiig mistake. If you are going to sell via the App Store you are a business (hence why you need to fill out certain forms, need to have an American VAT number, etc.) and just like any other business you have to actively try to make money. Not only do you have to get the word out about your existence, you also have to keep on doing this and offer much more than just 1 app unless you like going bankrupt. If you want to have recurring revenue than selling a product is most definitely the wrong approach because it will only provide revenue 1 time. What you need is a subscription because that means revenue every month. The problem with that: not many buyers are open for that kind of model.

The latter is something you'll see with nearly every business software. There are quite a lot of licensing models where you pay for the applications itself and where you have to pay extra in order to use the mobile apps. The mobile apps are usually free.

Also, niche products are usually not a big issue since there is a certain audience who is far more likely to buy it. We see it with a lot of different products, especially the luxury ones. That's why you often see these businesses either asking a lot of money for the product, going the extra mile and/or offering cheaper products (usually under a different brand and usually aimed at the general public and not the niche audience). That's how they are able to survive. However, not all of them have to do this. A lot of them can survive just fine with only selling their niche product.

I think people are forgetting the basics of running a company just as much as they are forgetting that the App Store is first and foremost a means of distributing ones software. It is not meant as a way for running ones business (read: you don't just create an app, put it in the app store and then profit, there is more involved).

The financial problems of the App Store are entirely Apple's doing. The fact the Mac App Store has failed to attract any serious heavyweights and is regularly losing some of its star products, just shows how hostile the App Store policies are to developers.

There is one very important thing you and many others keep forgetting: OS X is an existing ecosystem, very well established and with a lot of expectations. Unlike iOS it isn't build with an app store in mind nor is it tightly integrated (read: the only way to install apps). It is very complex to create an app store for OS X. The way it is now doesn't work all that well but I seriously doubt that the way it is done in Ubuntu and the like will work (there will be issues with liability and testing because they'll run into the same issues as any company will). Maybe will have to draw the conclusion that an app store for OS X simply doesn't work.

Btw, none of what you mentioned is financial. They are all technical or due to an existing ecosystem.

the problem is I want to use Apple iWork programs but they are so lacking compared to Office.

I really want numbers to be able to hyperlink to locally stored PDF's and a built in solution to Pages to manage and edit PDF's signing and stamping etc.

As far as I know you can't do that with MS Office either. You can only use their own format and it is quite limited compared to their desktop parts.

 

[Wiesenlooser]

It is so problematic that there are so many pro apps in the App Store that are even the top selling ones. Or in other words: the reality is the exact opposite from your fear. Not having trial and upgrade options is and has been a problem since day 1 for every kind of application in the App Store. It is not limited to games, pro apps, etc.

That is an absurd way of making an argument. Just because of the fact that the app store is successful, not every Apple App Store Policy was the reason behind this success.

Some of the pro apps are succesfull DESPITE of Apple's decisions, not because of it.

Otherwise, the Apple store must be absolutely flawless because of its successs.

And yes, missing upgrade options are a roblem for every kind of application. It is just THAT much more severe for Pro Apps because of the stagnant user base.

 

[dyn]

Some of the pro apps are succesfull DESPITE of Apple's decisions, not because of it.

That is quite different from your first claim: the app store preventing any success for pro apps. I only said that pro apps are successful despite the App Store policy thus the App Store policy isn't an obstruction as you claim it to be. Or in other words: reality is very different from the claim that the App Store prevents pro apps.

And yes, missing upgrade options are a roblem for every kind of application. It is just THAT much more severe for Pro Apps because of the stagnant user base.

I'd say this is really naive and shows a great misunderstanding of what pro apps are and how the user base actually works. In general pro/business people hate everything that changes things so anything that applies as a new version, update or upgrade. They depend on the software and they don't want to run any risk of it not working after an update/upgrade/whatever plus there is this general thing found in any human being: fear of change (look up some psychology if you want to know more, it has been researched in various areas). Take a good look at the forums here regarding updating OS X and iOS. If there is one type of user base that is lacking behind versions it is the pro/business user base. If the update/upgrade is rather important for business then they'll install it, even if that means paying for it again. We've seen the same discussion around the new trashcan styled Mac Pro and we are seeing it with the iPad Pro as well (you know, the device that is nearly as expensive as a normal notebook).

Upgrade pricing is an issue for ordinary consumers because they find it hard to spend a certain amount of money. They don't have ways of writing things off or getting tax reductions and the like. For businesses it can even be more interesting to buy new than to upgrade in certain cases (and yes it depends on the country, type of business and so on). The same can apply to trial versions. Usually the pro apps are on the desktop and have a spin off for mobile devices. That means a lot of people actually already know the value of the software. Also you can get your money back. Having trial versions makes the App Store experience just a bit more user friendly as it is easier to test software and it is much easier than doing refunds. Again, this applies more to consumers than to pro/business.

You need to talk to some of my fellow sysadmins because they can tell you how extremely conservative pro/business can be when it comes to software. It is not uncommon that they are still using software versions from 10 or even 30 years ago (DOS is still widely used). Most of the App Store issues people are talking about concern the ordinary consumer or the developer itself (not being able to set your own pricing model is the key one, although there are ways to work around it). Talk to people with actual experience on this subject and you'll see that you are greatly overreacting the situation. The reason why there aren't that many pro apps for the iPad Pro is much simpler: the device and iOS 9 are very new, a lot of developers have no idea what to do with it. Same reason why we don't see much Apple TV apps. This will change in 2016 and 2017, quicker than say VR.

 

[Wiesenlooser]

That is quite different from your first claim: the app store preventing any success for pro apps. I only said that pro apps are successful despite the App Store policy thus the App Store policy isn't an obstruction as you claim it to be. Or in other words: reality is very different from the claim that the App Store prevents pro apps.

Umm... no it isnt. I didn't say ANY success. But it is proventing it by a large extent.

 

[xraydoc]

As several people have said, my iPad Pro is also my main computer in terms of hours used. I do have a Mac mini with two 24" displays at the office and a 27" iMac at home for things that aren't easily done on a mobile OS (and even then I can often just Remote Desktop in to them from my iPad without actually being in front of them), but I get 85% of my work done on the iPad Pro + Pencil. Love it.

 

[Nevaborn]

It is so problematic that there are so many pro apps in the App Store that are even the top selling ones. Or in other words: the reality is the exact opposite from your fear. Not having trial and upgrade options is and has been a problem since day 1 for every kind of application in the App Store. It is not limited to games, pro apps, etc.


This is the exact problem I was talking about. Developers thinking that they the App Store is going to do the selling. Biiiiiig mistake. If you are going to sell via the App Store you are a business (hence why you need to fill out certain forms, need to have an American VAT number, etc.) and just like any other business you have to actively try to make money. Not only do you have to get the word out about your existence, you also have to keep on doing this and offer much more than just 1 app unless you like going bankrupt. If you want to have recurring revenue than selling a product is most definitely the wrong approach because it will only provide revenue 1 time. What you need is a subscription because that means revenue every month. The problem with that: not many buyers are open for that kind of model.

The latter is something you'll see with nearly every business software. There are quite a lot of licensing models where you pay for the applications itself and where you have to pay extra in order to use the mobile apps. The mobile apps are usually free.

Also, niche products are usually not a big issue since there is a certain audience who is far more likely to buy it. We see it with a lot of different products, especially the luxury ones. That's why you often see these businesses either asking a lot of money for the product, going the extra mile and/or offering cheaper products (usually under a different brand and usually aimed at the general public and not the niche audience). That's how they are able to survive. However, not all of them have to do this. A lot of them can survive just fine with only selling their niche product.

I think people are forgetting the basics of running a company just as much as they are forgetting that the App Store is first and foremost a means of distributing ones software. It is not meant as a way for running ones business (read: you don't just create an app, put it in the app store and then profit, there is more involved).


There is one very important thing you and many others keep forgetting: OS X is an existing ecosystem, very well established and with a lot of expectations. Unlike iOS it isn't build with an app store in mind nor is it tightly integrated (read: the only way to install apps). It is very complex to create an app store for OS X. The way it is now doesn't work all that well but I seriously doubt that the way it is done in Ubuntu and the like will work (there will be issues with liability and testing because they'll run into the same issues as any company will). Maybe will have to draw the conclusion that an app store for OS X simply doesn't work.

Btw, none of what you mentioned is financial. They are all technical or due to an existing ecosystem.


As far as I know you can't do that with MS Office either. You can only use their own format and it is quite limited compared to their desktop parts.

Well I can hyperlink PDF's stored either locally or on a server and insert in a spreadsheet. As for annotating them that I have not tried through Microsoft.

 

[Fattytail]

I really enjoy my iPad Pro, but using this as the only device? I don't think it would be a good experience for anyone. iOS is just too clumsy and illogical with certain things. Maybe when iOS 11 is released.

Yeah, it's technically feasible for me especially now with Microsoft's great suite of Office apps for iOS. But it'd be just so damn clumsy and unwieldy in many situations. Little things like being able to have more than two windows open at a time or not being able to transfer certain files due to iOS app sand boxing. There are workarounds for almost everything, but it doesn't add up to a smooth experience. We're probably a few generations away from that though. Everything really is a software issue at this point. Hardware is top notch.

 

[dyn]

Yep, most things are technical limitations but we've seen that with each new iOS release some of those are being lifted. It may take another couple of years before we have a very good multiwindow experience in iOS.